Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 43

Dīkṣā, Mantra-Types, Mantra-Doṣas, and Qualifications of Ācārya–Śiṣya

Devanagari script

शिव शक्त्यार्णहीनो वा निर्बीजः स मनुः स्मृतः । आद्यंतमध्ये फट्कारः षोढा यस्मिन्प्रदृश्यते ॥ ४३ ॥

Transliteration

śiva śaktyārṇahīno vā nirbījaḥ sa manuḥ smṛtaḥ | ādyaṃtamadhye phaṭkāraḥ ṣoḍhā yasminpradṛśyate || 43 ||

Translation

Le mantra dépourvu des syllabes de Śiva et de Śakti est tenu en mémoire comme « nirbīja » (sans semence). C’est ce mantra où l’on voit l’énoncé « phaṭ » apparaître en six formes — au début, à la fin et au milieu.

Word by Word

• शिव: Śiva
• शिव: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; (here as qualifier)

• शक्ति-अर्ण-हीनः: devoid of the Śakti-syllable
• शक्ति-अर्ण-हीनः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + हीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (determinative; ‘lacking the syllable/letter of Śakti’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक (or)

• निर्बीजः: seedless; without bīja
• निर्बीजः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर् + बीज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उपसर्गपूर्वक-विशेषण; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘without seed (bīja)’

• सः: that/he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मनुः: mantra-formula (manu)
• मनुः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• स्मृतः: is regarded (as)
• स्मृतः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘is considered/remembered as’

• आद्य-अन्त-मध्ये: in the beginning, end, and middle
• आद्य-अन्त-मध्ये: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आद्य (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक) + मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: इतर-द्वन्द्व (copulative: beginning+end+middle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन (as a compound locative)

• फट्कारः: the utterance ‘phaṭ’
• फट्कारः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फट्कार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• षोढा: sixfold
• षोढा: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: षट् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + धा (अव्ययार्थ-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb) ‘sixfold/six times’

• यस्मिन्: in which
• यस्मिन्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• प्रदृश्यते: is seen/appears
• प्रदृश्यते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद, कर्मणि (passive) ‘is seen/appears’

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Shakti

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in Narada Purana?

It defines a technical marker of mantra-structure: a mantra without the Śiva–Śakti syllabic components is termed nirbīja, and it is recognized by prescribed placements/forms of the protective “phaṭ” sound—showing how power is encoded through phonetics and arrangement.

How does this verse explain the path of devotion (Bhakti)?

Indirectly: it shows that devotion is supported by disciplined mantra-prayoga—properly formed sound (śabda) and traditional rules safeguard and focus the devotee’s worship, making japa and ritual offerings spiritually effective.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Śikṣā (Vedic phonetics) and mantra-vinyāsa: the verse emphasizes syllabic components (arṇa), “seed” theory (bīja/nirbīja), and the functional placement of a phonetic exclamation (phaṭ) used in ritual protection and mantra application.